Ex-Navy SEAL demands Congress take action against ‘deranged’ cartel after top leader killed

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Republican of Texas, is calling on Congress to further support joint U.S.-Mexico efforts to combat Mexican drug cartels following the death of “El Mencho,” the leader of the “most violent and deranged cartel.”

“This is the beginning of the war against the most violent and deranged cartel in Mexico: El Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación or OJNG,” Crenshaw said in a message to X Monday morning.

Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, believes the strike on El Mencho represents a necessary expansion of U.S. efforts to combat cartels and a window of opportunity for increased coordination between U.S.-Mexico forces.

“Over the past year, most of the focus has been on the Sinaloa Cartel. This is a much-needed refocus on CJNG. Both are major fentanyl traffickers, but CJNG looks more like ISIS than the Mafia,” Crenshaw said.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Republican of Texas, arrives at a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Crenshaw believes Congress has a role to play in combating this threat.

“I have authored a dozen pieces of legislation to support our military, intelligence and law enforcement efforts in Mexico. It is time for the committees to consider them.”

Among them, Crenshaw introduced a bill in 2023 alongside 24 other cosponsors that would have authorized the U.S. military to “combat, attack, resist, target.” [and] eliminate” drug traffickers.

If implemented, the bill would allow President Donald Trump to use the U.S. military against foreign countries, organizations or individuals that the president believes are trafficking fentanyl into the United States.

MEXICO SENDS 37 CARTEL MEMBERS TO US UNDER PRESSURE FROM TRUMP ADMINISTRATOR

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, February 13, 2026. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

Most recently, Crenshaw led the North American Security Initiative – an effort to strengthen U.S. support for Mexican special forces assets. Crenshaw called on the United States to devote more resources to Mexican special forces, similar to how the United States diverted some of its arsenal to support the war between Ukraine and Russia.

He urged the United States to provide Mexico with equipment, weapons and intelligence – an act that Crenshaw said will strengthen its relationship with Mexico.

VIOLENCE IN MEXICO SEES DOZENS OF MILITARY TROOPS AND CRIMINALS DEAD AFTER ASSORTMENT OF CARTEL LEADER ‘EL MENCHO’

“Unilateral action will only serve to alienate existing partnerships. Our near-term goal is to disrupt the fentanyl rings that are killing Americans every day,” a briefing brief provided by Crenshaw’s office about the initiative says.

A soldier stands guard near a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, following the death of cartel leader “El Mencho.” (AP Photo/Armando Solís)

A person familiar with Crenshaw’s thinking said he is coordinating with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to submit similar cartel-focused legislation for consideration in the near future.

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“We finally have a strong partner in the Mexican government to work with. We are finally focusing huge intelligence collection efforts on cartels (largely due to my amendment to FISA two years ago authorizing cartel intelligence collection),” Crenshaw said. “We finally face them. It won’t be over anytime soon. But it’s time we start.”

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